40,000 Nova Scotia workers call for anti-violence legislation

Joint presentation to province by NSGEU, NSTU, NSNU and CUPE

Halifax (20 Feb. 2007) - The Coalition Against Workplace Violence (CAWV), representing more than 40,000 public sector workers, has delivered a united appeal to the Nova Scotia government for legislation to deal with workplace violence.

The coalition includes the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU/NUPGE), the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), the Nova Scotia Nurses' Union (NSNU), and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).

A joint submission from the coalition members was presented formally to the province after public forums which took place in Sydney, Truro, Kentville and Dartmouth.

Provincial Labour Minister Mark Parent released a discussion paper in December calling for public feedback on the best way to address the issue.

The paper outlines the need for a strategy to address the issue, and offers an overview of regulatory and non-regulatory measures. It also discusses the need for a definition of workplace violence that adds clarity for employers and employees.

Joan Jessome

Joan Jessome, president of the NSGEU, says workers have waited far too long for the discussion paper and the debate that is now taking place.

"Though we’re hopeful that this time legislation is closer at hand, the coalition found many flaws in the discussion paper," she said. “Limiting the discussion and provisions of any legislation to high-risk workplaces is short-sighted. Our view of the problem is much more encompassing of all workers and all work sites in the province,” she says.

The coalition's presentation took place at the same time that a ground breaking study on workplace violence was released in Ottawa by Statistics Canada. It found that nearly one-fifth of all incidents involving violent victimization occurred in Canadian workplaces.

Janet Hazelton, president of the NSNU, said the paper presents too narrow a definition of workplace violence. "We have reviewed data from numerous sources and have found that psycho-social forms of violence and abuse are far more common and sometimes more devastating than physical assaults," she argued.

NSTU President Mary-Lou Donnelly said Nova Scotia workers need specific on-the-job protection. "And when we say violence, we’re not only talking about physical assaults, but any act at work in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated, bullied, assaulted or experiences fear," she added.

Danny Cavanagh, president of CUPE Nova Scotia, said action is long overdue.

“Draft regulations, developed jointly by labour and management representatives, have sat on a shelf now for over a decade in this province," he noted. "The time for action on this is now. We need a law that says violence – in all its forms – will not be tolerated in Nova Scotia workplaces. Workers, whether they be in a classroom, a health care facility or a corner store, deserve nothing less from their government. NUPGE